{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_58015/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_58015","id":"gutenberg_58015","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58015","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Funeral sermons","Sermons, English -- 19th century"],"text":"Transcribed from the 1815 R. Thomas edition by David Price, email\nccx074@pglaf.org\n\n                   [Picture: Public domain book cover]\n\n\n\n\n\n                                   THE\n                           _SPEEDY APPEARANCE_\n                                    OF\n                                  CHRIST\n                          DESIRED BY THE CHURCH.\n\n\n                        _BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF A_\n\n                                 Sermon,\n\n                    PREACHED ON THE DEATH OF A FRIEND,\n\n                            _August_ 27, 1815.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                              BY J. CHURCH,\n                MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL, SURREY TABERNACLE.\n\n                      [Picture: Decorative divider]\n\n      It shall be said in that day, lo, we have waited for him, he will\n                                     save\n                             us.\u2014_Isaiah_ xxv, 9.\n\n                   Even so come, LORD JESUS\u2014Rev. xxii, 20.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                                Southwark:\n             PRINTED BY R. THOMAS, RED LION STREET, BOROUGH.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n\n\n\nA SERMON.\n\n\n                       SOL. SONG, 8th Chap. last Verse.\n\n    _Make haste_, _my Beloved_, _and be thou like to a Roe_, _or a young_\n                     _Hart upon the Mountains of Spices_.\n\nTHIS divine Poem, is designed by the Holy Spirit, to exhibit the love of\nGod our dear Saviour, to his chosen people, with all the happy\nconsequences of that eternal affection.  The whole book is full of\nChrist, as the all in all of the Church, which he has purchased with his\nblood\u2014the union subsisting between the elect head and chosen body.  What\nChrist is to them, and they are to him, is strikingly set forth by many\nwell-known metaphors.  Perhaps there is nothing of greater importance in\nthe Bible than the Union subsisting between Jesus and his Church, the\nwhole Scriptures are full of it; all our salvation depends upon it.  The\nhighest idea of Union is that glorious oneness in the three Persons the\nadorable Trinity; that though they are distinct in Persons, Names and\nOffices, yet they are one in the divine incomprehensible Essence.\n\nThe next idea of Union is the hypostatical Union of God in our Nature:\nthe Word made Flesh and dwelling among us.  This is the mystery of\nGodliness.  The Union between the head and members is the principal\nsubject of this Song.  That Christ and his People are one, is an\neverlasting truth, the date of it is eternal, it is indissolvable, it is\nmysterious, it is perfect, and will endure to all eternity.  Hence it is\ncompared to the Union that subsists between the foundation of a building\nand its superstructure.  Christ is the foundation stone, the corner\nstone, the tried stone, and will be the top stone.\n\nThis Union is set forth by the metaphor of the head and the body, while\nthe love that united both is set forth in this song, by the neck.  The\nself-moving love of God will keep this body and head in eternal Union.\nThis is also represented by the Vine and the Branches.  _I am the Vine_,\n_ye are the Branches_.  All our fruit depends on Union with this Vine\u2014_In\nme is thy fruit found_.  The scriptures shew this doctrine by the Union\nthat subsists between the Husband and his Wife: this says the Apostle _is\na great mystery_; _but I speak concerning Christ and his Church_.\n\nIn consequence of this Union with Christ and his People, they become\npartakers of the same Spirit with him.  He that is joined to the Lord is\none spirit.  He took our nature, we take his spirit, and like the men of\nJudah, we have two parts in David.  We are bone of bone, and flesh of his\nflesh; and the Apostle tells us, _we are members of his body_, _of his\nflesh_, _and of his bones_.  Christ being united to his Church, beholds\nit with admiration; highly commends her, and to shew how dear she is to\nhim, he laid down his life for her, in the set time, to favor our souls.\nHe subdues our enmity, melts our hearts, reconciles our wills, draws our\naffections to himself, and leads our faith to admire him, believe in him,\nrest on him, and be satisfied with him.  He loves us, we love him; he\nchose us, we chuse him; he is delighted in us, we in him; he sought us,\nwe seek him; he commands us, we commend him; he draws near to us, we draw\nnear to him; he loves the company of his people, they desire his; he\ninvites them to his arms, his house, his table, and to holy familiarity\nwith him.  His people seeing his glory, beauty, suitableness, and love,\nintreat him to visit them, to meet them, to abide with them, to be in\nthem, walk with them, talk with them, and indulge them with his company.\nThus the Union is mutual, and sweet communion is the blessed effect of\nit.  The Saviour must see of the travail of his soul, in their complete\nconversion.  He longs for their coming home, and they long to get home to\nsee him, who is the brightness of the Father\u2019s glory, and the express\nimage of his Person.  Under this sweet influence of the spirit of love,\nthe Church breathes forth her earnest desires\u2014_Make haste my beloved_,\n_and be thou like to a Roe_, _or a young Hart upon the mountains of\nspices_.\n\nThe first petition in this song is for clear manifestations of his love.\n_Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth_.  And the last petition is\nthe language of the text, the earnest desire to see his face.  This is\nthe Alpha and Omega of the Spirit\u2019s teaching.\n\nWe shall first consider the object desired.\u2014_My beloved_.\n\nSecondly, Her earnest request, _Make haste_.  And thirdly, The metaphor\nhere made use of, _Be thou like a Roe_, _or a young Hart upon the\nmountains of spices_.\n\nFirst\u2014The glorious object of the desire of every one taught of God,\nemphatically stiled _My beloved_.  This title is given to Jesus, nineteen\nor twenty times in this book; and no doubt is intended to point out the\nhigh esteem the church has of her Saviour; the clearest, the sweetest\nevidence of a person\u2019s interest in Christ, is love to the dear God-Man\nMediator.  This principle is shed abroad in the heart; it is always in\nthe believer as a principle; but it is not always shed abroad in the\nfeeling sense of it, we wish it was, as it is calculated carry us above\nthe love of sin, the love of self, the love of the creature, and the love\nof the world.  Christ as the Christ of God, is the darling of heaven; the\nFather loves him, and is well pleased with him.  The Holy Spirit\u2019s\nprincipal aim in all his operations is to glorify him; the holy angels\nadmire and adore him, as their elect head; the spirits of just men, made\nperfect, look on him with holy wonder, with rapture, and joy; while every\npoor, tried, humble believer, trusts in him, leans upon him, hopes in\nhim, and sincerely desires to love him above all things else.  And if I\nknow any thing of experience, I must say in the behalf of the church, it\nis our principal grief we think on him so little, trust him so little,\nadmire and adore him so little.  This is a lamentation, and must be so to\nthe end of our days.  But our days of mourning on this subject will have\nan end\u2014and\n\n    Till then I would thy love proclaim,\n       With every feeling breath;\n    And may the music of thy name,\n       Refresh my soul in death.\n\nChrist is the beloved of his church for what is in himself, as God-Man\nMediator.  Secondly, Christ is beloved of his church for what he has\ndone, and is now doing in heaven.  If we view him as God, possessing all\ndivine perfections, and these harmonizing and engaged in our salvation,\nO! how glorious do they all appear!  Divine sovereignty chose us to\nsalvation; loved moved him to make this choice; wisdom drew the wonderous\nplan; power executed it; goodness made provision for us; truth makes us\nfree; faithfulness is engaged to make good his promises; pity redeemed\nus; compassion leads us to repentance; holiness makes him all-glorious to\nus; righteousness justifies; justice forgives us; and perfection renders\nus compleat in Christ.  Thus all his sublime attributes center in our\nsalvation, and render Jesus as equal with the Father, beloved to us, if\nwe view him as Man and Mediator.  _There is_, says the Apostle to us,\n_One God and one Mediator_, _the Man_, (i.e. _the God Man_) _Christ\nJesus_.  In this human nature he is the perfection of beauty; the Holy\nSpirit formed it, the Father provided it, and the eternal Son of God\nappeared in it as our Day\u2019s Man.  It was filled with the Holy Ghost\u2014it\nwas a sacred Temple, the residence of Deity.  _The word was made\nflesh_\u2014_the word was God_.  All things were made by him.  This human\nnature was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separated from sinners; and\nsuch an High Priest became us.  And by virtue of the Union of the\nGodhead; this dear God-Man is the Beloved of the whole Church.\n\nIf we consider him in his Mediatorial capacity, sustaining his glorious\noffices, as Prophet, Priest, and King.  These offices no doubt he refers\nto when he said I am the way, and the truth, and the life; to these he\nwas called.  These he executes in the church, and in the hearts of all\nbelievers.  He enlightens us as a Prophet, he intercedes as a Priest, and\nhe reigns as a King.  He teaches the way to heaven as a Prophet, he opens\nthe way as a Priest, and he brings into the way as a King.  He preached\nglad tidings to the meek as a Prophet, he binds up the broken-hearted as\na Priest, and he opens the prison doors as a king.  These glorious\noffices he exercises in the souls of his children, and viwing him\nfaithful in his house, he is truly lovely to his church.  If we view him\nin his glorious titles, it appears the Holy Ghost has ransacked all the\nendearing ties of nature, and all the lovely instances of his creative\npower, to set him forth\u2014the affectionate Husband, the constant Friend,\nthe skilful Physician, the tender Father, the able Counsellor, the\nsympathizing Mother and Nurse, the wise Law-giver, the lovely Prince, the\nfaithful Ambassador, and the Advocate with the Father; the guide of his\nChildren, and the Captain of their salvation.  He is represented as a\nLamb, a Hen, a Hind; surely\n\n    All over glorious is our Lord;\n    To be admir\u2019d, and yet ador\u2019d:\n    His worth if all the nations knew,\n    Sure the whole earth would love him too.\n\nThe operations of his hands as the adorable Creator, sets him forth in\nhis goodness, greatness, and glory\u2014the earth is full of his praise\u2014\n\n    He shines in the sun, refreshes in the breeze,\n    Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees.\n\nEvery drop of dew, every shower of rain, every blade of grass, every\nrolling peal of thunder, and every flash of lightning, loudly proclaims\nthe eternal power and Godhead of him who lived, and loved, and died for\nus.  The word of the eternal truth, the Scriptures, are an exhibition of\nhis loving heart.  Its histories, types, shadows, and parables\u2014all the\nillustrious characters that appeared before him were only as dim stars,\nto usher in the glorious luminary, the Light of Life.  Every promise,\ninvitation, and declaration, all, all! proclaim the Beloved.  O for\nhearts to love him more, and serve him without reserve, and to long to be\nwith him, that we may behold his glory for ever.\n\nBut, Secondly, The Request made for his speedy appearance, _Make hast my\nbeloved_; _be thou like a Roe_, _or young Hart upon the mountains of\nspices_.  This may include in it the earnest wish of the Old Testament\nsaints for the Incarnation of Jesus; it had been long foretold, and it\nwas expected by all the saints, though nearly four thousand years rolled\naway before their desires were accomplished.  The dear Messiah made his\nappearance at last, to put away sin, to honor the Law, to satisfy\nJustice, to glorify the attributes of Deity, bar the mouth of the\nbottomless Pit, and open the gates of the celestial City.  How beautiful\nthe language of the Church, (TE DEUM) _When thou tookest upon thee to\ndeliver man thou didst not abhor the Virgin\u2019s womb_.  _When thou hadst\novercome the sharpness of death_, _thou dist open the kingdom of heaven\nto all Believers_.  This was the subject matter of the faith of Old\nTestament saints.  This important God-glorifying event, they anticipated,\nand though millions of the elect died without the sight, they all died in\nfaith, embracing the promises, and Jesus in them.\n\nThis Chapter opens and closes with their ardent wish, _O that thou wert\nas my brother_, _that sucked the breasts of my mother_!  _Make haste my\nBeloved_.  When Believers, on any occasion, pray thus, we are not to\nsuppose they wish for the blessing before the time, though in fact, as\nthe Saviour said on another occasion, Your time is always ready.  But\nthere is a time for every purpose, a set time, and Christ came in the\nfulness of time, nor will he delay one blessing laid up for his people\nbeyond the time.  Faith is always willing to wait God\u2019s time, but\nunbelief is always in a hurry, _He that hasteth with his feet sinneth\u2014he\nthat believeth shall not make haste_.\n\nSecondly, The Request may be considered as made by the Church of God in\nthe depths of trouble, when storms of fierce persecution has involved\nher, or awful errors abounding and carrying away many professors; and\nsuch has been the case of the Church frequently: this may be seen clearly\nin the state of the Gospel Church, as stated in the 12th of the\nRevelations.  Blessed be God, in the worst times, there have been a few\npraying souls, who have been concerned for the glory of the Redeemer, the\ncause of truth, and the welfare of Zion.  Such have united their\npetitions for the delivery of Zion, and obtained an answer, as Moses did,\n_I have seen the afflictions of my people_, _and I am come down to\ndeliver them_.  And as the Psalmist also obtained the blessed answer,\n_For the oppression of the poor_, _and the sighing of the needy_, _now\nwill I arise_, _saith the Lord_.\n\nThirdly, This Request for the coming of Jesus, may be considered as the\nlanguage of a soul in straits and difficulties.  Hence, some have\nexclaimed, _Make haste to help me_, _O my God_, _make no long tarrying_.\nThe burden of guilt, the power of unbelief, the temptation of the enemy,\nthe frowns of the world, the loss of all that is near and dear, the fears\nof being lost at last, that what has been experienced is but the\nattainments of an hypocrite; and at the same time, amidst all these\nthings there is to be found the _one good thing toward the Lord God of\nIsrael_, an inward breathing after Jesus, a thirsting for the living\nGod\u2014a desire to be delivered in God\u2019s way, either by an open\nmanifestation of Christ to the soul, or a strengthening,\nfaith-encouraging hope, applying a promise or melting the soul in the\nflames of eternal love.  A kind hint, a love-token, or a sweet view of\nJesus afresh.\u2014Hence the argument of the church of old, _Wilt thou not\nrevive us again_, _that we may rejoice in thee_?  _Make haste therefore_,\n_my beloved_.\n\nFourthly, This Request may be considered as the church\u2019s desire for the\nmanifestative presence of Christ; nothing, perhaps, can exceed this New\nCovenant promise, _I will dwell with them_.\u2014Surely with rapture and\nsurprise we must ask, _And will God in very deed dwell with men on the\nearth_?  Stupendous condescension! infinite grace and love!\n\n                       Stand in amaze ye rolling skies,\n\nThe presence of Jesus is life and peace\u2014it softens the hard cares of\nlife, sanctifies humble poverty; makes obedience easy; trials sweet;\nordinances precious; and eternity desirable.  The presence of Jesus\nendears the blessings of providence; adds a glory to creation, and causes\nthe earth to be filled with his praise.  This gives a relish to the\nbounties of nature; adds a double beauty to flowers, and a double\nsweetness to fruits.\n\nThis Request may be considered as the language of the whole Church,\nlonging for the second coming of Jesus Christ.  It is clearly revealed\nthat the Lord will appear again the second time, without spot and sin, to\nsalvation; the brightest display of history, and the complete Deliverer\nof his people.  It is necessary he should appear again\u2014the consummation\nof the Marriage Union is an event our dear Lord must accomplish, when he\nwill leave the third heavens, and descend into the air with his heavenly\nretinue, to meet his Bride complete, body and soul, upon her resurrection\nfrom the dead.  O what a joyful meeting of the heavenly Bridegroom and\nthe spiritual Bride, of the glorious company of saints and angels, of the\nbody and souls of God\u2019s children, to sin no more, to sorrow no more, but\nto be like Jesus, see his face, enjoy his smiles, and so be for ever with\nthe Lord.  The thought is animating\u2014Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!\n_Make haste_, _my beloved_\u2014the event will be awful, but glorious, the\nprocession such as never has taken place in the upper or lower worlds.\nPerhaps some things are said about it, in allusion to earthly processions\nwhen a judge enters a town.  O when the stars fall, when the sun hides\nhis head, when the moon is confounded, when the world is in a blaze,\nthen, then! O gracious Saviour, own us in that day for thine; and he\nsurely will, O believers, as you have been enabled to own him in the\nmidst of a crooked and perverse generation; as sure as you are born again\nof the spirit, love him in soul, cleave to him in faith and hope, depend\non him for life and salvation, and love all his gracious appearances.\nThe crown is laid up for them who love his appearance.\u2014This leads us to\nnotice the metaphor here made use of, _a Roe or a young Hart upon the\nmountains of spices_.  This is a phrase frequently used in this Song; and\nsometimes Christ is compared to these lovely creatures, no doubt, for\ntheir loving natures, excellent and choice, for the antipathy between\nthem and serpents\u2014for their thirst, after the conflict they usually have\nwith Serpents: they are also remarkable for longivity, but in this text\nare mentioned to shew their remarkable swiftness of foot: their\nspeediness is used to set forth the swiftness of Christ to the soul, over\nmountains of sorrow, hills of grief, over all the difficulties that are\nin the way.  The request, then, is simply thus, Make haste my beloved,\nand fly swift to me, as a Roe or Hart upon mountains, where they delight\nto run and skip: so his gracious presence is desired on the mountains of\nZion, the congregations of the saints, and the hearth and families of\nbelievers.  The celebrated Dr. _Gill_ thinks these mountains refer to the\nglory beyond the grave: the height and sublimity of this happy state; it\nis above, reserved in heaven\u2014a hope, a crown laid up, the prize of the\nhigh calling\u2014it is a permanency, an everlasting joy\u2014pleasures for\nevermore!\n\n    O ye blest scenes of permanent delight!\n    Full without measure, lasting without bounds!\n    A perpetuity of bliss is bliss.\n\nI trust our dear friend and Brother is now in the enjoyment of this\nunspeakable felicity; to this all the people of God were predestinated by\nthe Father\u2014for this they were redeemed by Jesus\u2014for this they are called\nby the Holy Spirit, made partakers of a divine nature and preserved unto\nthis kingdom and glory.  This inheritance is sure to all the seed; but\nthere must be a preparation for it, a calling out of the world, a good\nhope through grace; the pardon of sin, and a receiving the righteousness\nof God our Saviour.  There must be a knowledge of Jesus, union to him and\ncommunion with him; this is our meetness for glory; and however uncandid\nit may be deemed, I am bold to affirm, that no man can behold the face of\nGod with joy, without those blessings in time.  Hear this\n\n    Ye opposers, transgressors of every degree,\n    And formal professors, the worst of the three.\n\nAs it respects our departed Friend, it appears he had lived in nature\u2019s\ndarkness, sin, and misery, like the rest of mankind, till about a year\nago, when it pleased the Lord to lead him to hear the Gospel as preached\nby unworthy me.  I believe the passage I had occasion at that time to\ndiscourse on was, _Look not upon me because I am black_, _because the sun\nhath looked on me_.  I rather suppose his convictions began about this\ntime; the word laid hold of his heart; he saw himself a lost sinner,\njustly condemned by the Law, which he soon found to be spiritual, that it\ncursed him for a sinful thought as well as sinful works.  The fears of\ndeath, the guilt of sin, the suggestions of Satan, and the dread of\njudgment and eternity, were all felt by him.\u2014He found himself shut up in\nunbelief, and neither might or power of his own could extricate him.\u2014He\nwas at the same time sadly tried in circumstances, so that the hand of\nGod seemed to go out against him in every direction.  But that most\nblessed Spirit of all grace, who had taken possession of his soul, and\ngiven him light to see and life to feel himself a sinner, also begot in\nhim a living hope, that he should be delivered.  The Holy Spirit\nconvinced him of unbelief, and at the same time operated on his mind as a\nspirit of faith.  He convinced him of his carnal enmity, yet operated as\na spirit of love.\n\nThus the blessed Spirit generally deals with his dear people.  Our\nBrother, amidst all he felt, attended constantly on the word\u2014and he that\nwaiteth on his Master shall be honored, and so he found it.\n\nThe glorious Gospel exhibits the eternal love of the Father, the freeness\nof divine grace, and the pardon of the vilest, through the blood of the\nLamb.  These immortal truths, accompanied by the power of the Spirit,\nbegot in his mind a pleasing hope of salvation.  Love operated in his\nheart as faith was led to eye the Saviour, and by waiting on the Lord his\nfaith grew strong in the doctrines of the Cross, so that he gradually\nexperienced the joys of salvation, which did not leave him, but for a\nseason, till his dissolution.\n\nThrough a variety of trials and wants his health began rapidly to\ndecline, and soon baffled the use of medicine: but as the body was thus\ngravitating to its own center, the dust, his soul was happy in a good\nhope, through grace, the love of God, and the precious Person of Jesus.\n\nWhen confined to his bed I had occasion to visit him often, and generally\nfound him happy.  I must confess I staggered a little at his felicity,\nbut I knew the Holy Spirit was a Sovereign, and had a right to do as he\npleased.  But I apprized our Friend, that I doubted whether he would go\nquite so easy to heaven, without a cloud, without an assault, without a\ntemptation: not but he was deeply afflicted in his body; and it is the\nmercy of God\u2019s elect to experience this grand truth, _He stayeth his\nrough wind in the day of the East wind_.\u2014In a few days time my prediction\nof his troubles came to pass.  He was tried and tempted indeed.  His body\ngetting worse, Satan took occasion from some trying circumstances which\noccurred, to distress his mind, which absolutely deprived him of his\nrationality for some few days and nights, with very few intervals of\nsanity.  But while in this afflicted state Prayer was made for him\nconstantly among us, and by the kindness of the Church, especially the\nyounger brethren, who were assiduous in their attention to him, we had\nthe happiness of seeing him restored, and once more composed, and happy\nin Jesus.  But the time drew near that he must die: the Lord dealt very\ngraciously with him in that solemn period, for which we have much cause\nto be thankful.\n\nOn the Lord\u2019s-day morning of his death, he was visited by many godly\ncharacters.  He looked around on them all, and thanked them for their\nkind attention to him and his family.  When it was intimated they should\nsoon see each other in glory, he smiled, and said, _I shall be so taken\nup with Jesus_, _I shall not be able to think much of any one else_.  He\nnow appeared to be dying upward, but spoke of it without dismay; being\nwearied he desired to be once more turned in his bed.  He dosed a little\nwhile; when well awoke, he exclaimed, _Christ is all in all_!  He paused;\nthen earnestly said _Blessed Jesus_, _hast thou not promised I shall be\nwith thee_? _and thou canst not be worse than thy word_.  He paused\nagain, then cried out, _He has done all things well_.  Then he said\nagain, _Thou dear Redeemer_, _dying Lamb_, _I love to hear of thee_.  At\nthree in the afternoon he seemed to be sinking in the arms of death, and\nsolemnly said to a friend, _I am getting nearer_.\u2014Then he said soon\nafter, _I am very near_\u2014_I am quite close_\u2014(to his eternal home he\nmeant).  At about the close of the day after, having laid some time\nquiet, he exclaimed, _Come Lord_, _come Lord Jesus_, _come quickly_!\n_Come Lord_, _come_!\u2014_He is come_, _he is come_!  _I come_, _I come_!\nHis voice gradually fell, but as long as his lips could move, his friends\ncould hear him say, _Come_, _come_, _come_!  With these words he dropt\nasleep in the arms of our blessed Lord\u2014to whom be glory.\n\n                                                                   _AMEN_.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                                  FINIS.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                Thomas, Printer, Red Lion Street, Borough.","title":"The Speedy Appearance of Christ Desired by the Church: Being the Substance of a Sermon, Preached on the Death of a Friend, August 27, 1815","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":4385}